Personal Update

My husband has named the packing experience "Hoarders Light." He's not kidding. It's not surprising that this underscores what I have known for a while. I have been completely immersed in the doll world to the exclusion of the rest of my life for the past 7 or so years. Packing the dolls is the easy part - except for the props. The furniture for the 16" dolls is a nightmare to pack except for the items whose original boxes I saved.
The real problems are dealing with the equipment and tools from the arts I've been involved in for the last 25 years - outside of the doll world - darkroom photography, painting, woodworking, miniaturing, jewelry making, enameling, faux finishing, sewing, embroidery, casting...you wouldn't believe it.  I should have been trying to sell this equipment but I didn't and it's all nicely packed up waiting to come along to the next location. OMG.
Craig's list is going to be very familiar with me soon, I hope. Or will I get obsessed with something else and ignore the need to divest myself of these things that have become burdens?
I have lately been enjoying and participating in Pinterest which has inspired me to get back to the other arts. Even doll collecting has opportunities for me to create. I've tried my hand at repainting and that is not something I can do successfully other than retouch or enhance but I can make wigs. I can create instead of accumulate. I love my dolls and I get a great deal of pleasure from looking at them and touching them and posing them but it's gone too far. They keep coming and then what? Thank goodness I've been selling all along or I'd have to get Rudy a job.
Inspiration is what has been lost but it's temporary. And it's the season of change. All is well.

Back to packing.

 You've got to keep your sense of humor.

The Blonds' "Blond Diamond Barbie Doll"

From the promotional pictures she looks gorgeous. All Barbies look beautiful in the promos. Sigh.
The dress appears to be diamond encrusted and along with the hot pink lining of the white fur coat and the stunning blonde hair...vavavoom!

The background story from BC.Com:

About the Designers:

Phillipe and David Blond met in New York City and launched The Blonds in 2008. Together they have created collections that have taken the design world by storm.

Featuring over the top looks full of glamour and spectacle embellished with crystals, chains, sequins and spikes, their pieces have garnered rave reviews from editors, fashion writers, stylists and celebrities alike, including Lady Gaga, Rihanna, Katy Perry, Sarah Jessica Parker, Nicki Minaj, Jennifer Lopez, Fergie, Christina Aguilera, Miley Cyrus, Selena Gomez and Beyonce Knowles.  Quickly gaining global stature, The Blonds have been featured in Vogue, L’Officiel, Dazed & Confused, Prestige, GQ, Elle, Marie Claire , InStyle and V Magazine. Supermodels Gisele Bundchen, Helena Christensen, Naomi Campbell, Karlie Kloss, Chanel Iman and Iman have all been photographed in The Blonds custom couture.

In 2008 The Blonds were nominated for the Fashion Group International Rising Star Award for Womenswear.   In 2009 The Blonds were the exclusive designers at the Life Ball in Vienna, Austria - one of the largest AIDS charities and runway shows in the world - hosted by President Bill Clinton, Katy Perry and Eva Longoria. The Blonds received the esteemed Ecco Domani Fashion Foundation Award for Womenswear in 2009. With the EDFF grant, The Blonds presented one of the most exciting shows at New York Fashion Week. Since then, they have continued to deliver captivating runway shows, season after season! 

In 2010 The Blonds collaborated with Mattel to design three one of a kind Barbie dolls.

___________________________________

Blond Diamond won't be out until August 2012. She is categorized as a Designer Series doll. No word on price or edition size.

Zombie Boy Doll

Just when I thought the Tonner creatives couldn't get crazier (in a good way) they come out with this San Diego Comic Con 2012 exclusive, Rico the Zombie Boy.

The following coverage was blogged by Paul Nomad at Idle Hands.

Featured in Lady Gaga's Born This Way music video, model and performer Rick Genest (Zombie Boy) is a human canvas, with 80% of his body covered in tattoos. Genest's body art depicts the human form as it decomposes into a corpse, flesh-eating insects and all. His special art display has earned him two admissions into the Guinness book of World Records: one for the most bones tattooed on the body (134), and one for the most insects tattooed on the body (176).


"My tattoos symbolize life through death, or death through life," Genest said in a "Meet Zombie Boy" article featured on Dermablend®'s website, where he is a brand ambassador. "They've been a part of me forever - before I even got them done. They reveal how I feel on the inside. I'm so used to how I look now that I don't see them anymore."


Discovered by Lady Gaga's personal stylist and Creative Director of fashion powerhouse Thierry Mugler Nicola Formichetti, Genest first appeared on the fashion scene when he was featured by Mugler in the Paris fashion show in January 2011. In addition to walking runways for Mugler and other designers in Milan, Berlin, Copenhagen, Warsaw, Rio, New York and Toronto, Genest has become the face of Dermablend in its award winning Go beyond The Cover video which attracted more than 15 Million views and 650,000 likes on its Facebook. In the process he has become a social media phenomenon, with more than 66,000 Twitter fans and 66,000 Likes on Facebook. Visit his website at http://.RickGenest.com, http://www.facebook.com/ricothezombie and http://twitter.com/ricothezombie.


"When I first saw Rick in a magazine, I was instantly fascinated," said Robert Tonner, CEO and celebrated doll artist and designer. "There was something so visually arresting about his super edgy look juxtaposed with sophisticated, tailored clothes."


The Zombie Boy Character Figure™ will be 17" tall, and boasts hand-painted details and will feature a replica of Genest's intricate body art, and also include his facial piercing between his eyes. With Tonner's multiple points of articulation for dynamic poses and quality craftsmanship, this Zombie Boy Character Figure™ pulls out all the stops. Check out the sneak peek above!


"This was one of the most challenging and fun projects I've worked on in a long time," said Tonner. "We are really excited that Rick is going to be joining us at Comic Con, it's going to be a real treat to have such a special guest in our booth."


You can get the Zombie Boy Character Figure™ at the 2012 SDCC in Tonner's booth (#4149), as well as on their website, www.tonnerdoll.com (Mid July). He is a limited edition size of just 500 pieces.


Tonner states that this will be their ONLY SDCC 2012 exclusive, but they will be selling their own convention exclusives and some other special bits (along with a teased collaboration with FAO Schwarz) for the die hard fans! For more information, or to see the vast collection of comic book heroes and more Tonner has to offer, visit www.tonnerdoll.com.

_____________________________
________________________

 

Dermablend commissioned Rick Genest to do an ad campaign for their body and leg cover makeup.
Watch this very cool and interesting video. 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iLpbMqQMelk&feature=colike

Neurotica Sybarite Doll

The third doll in the Hells Bells series went on sale at Marlbe at 10:00 AM today. She is called Neurotica and is quite something else. LE120

She's being offered at a retail of $820.

Barbie 2012 Dolls of the World

Here they are. Colorful, stereotyped representations of countries. My favorite thing about them are the pets.
Chile and India are very pretty. 
They are $29.95 each.  Will you be adding any of these to your collection?

India

Holland

Chile

Mexico

Hawaii, USA

More Upcoming Conventions

MADC (Madame Alexander Doll Club) convention "Winning the West" is in a few days - June 20—23. It will be held at the Marriott in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
Find out more at this link:  http://www.madc.org/index.htm

National Barbie Doll Collectors Convention will be held in Garden Grove, California at the Hyatt Regency Orange County from July 11—14, 2012.

UFDC (United Federation of Doll Clubs Inc.) is calling their event "A Jambalaya Jubilee. It will take place July 24—27, 2012 in New Orleans, LA at the Sheraton New Orleans.
Here is more information: http://ufdc.org/convention/

IFDC (International Fashion Doll Convention) will again be at The Orleans in Las Vegas, Nevada. Dates are July 25—28, 2012. The theme is "Shock, Rattle N' Roll" and it is the IFDC's 10th Anniversary. This convention celebrates a variety of modern fashion dolls such as those from Integrity Toys and the Tonner Doll Company. There is a large group of BJD collectors who also gather during the event.
Find out more at this link: http://www.ifdconline.com/

The inaugural Ken Doll Convention will take place on September 13—15, 2012 in Chicago, IL at the Sheraton Chicago O'Hare Airport Hotel.  The theme is "Space-Age Bachelor Pad."
Click on this link to get more information. http://www.manbehindthedoll.com/
Look for the part of the page that says Kenvention.

MDCC (Modern Doll Collectors Convention) The theme for this year's MDCC "What Happens In Vegas." The dates are September 19—22, 2012. The hotel is Harrah's in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Click here for more information:  http://www.moderndollcollectors.com/

The 14th Annual Dawn Doll Convention takes place on September 29, 2012 on Hyannis, Cape Cod, MA. The theme is The Wedding.
More information: http://dawnoncapecod.com/index.html

 There are several BJD regional conventions in the USA which I found in my search. I don't know if any of these groups are well-established. I recommend you do a search on Google to find groups for your specific needs as a BJD collector. In addition, on-line fora such as Den Of Angels (highly recommended and supremely well-moderated) and Zone of Zen (boardhost.com layout) can offer a great deal of information about this type of event worldwide. Click on either logo below to go to the site of your choice. Both require registration.